Less noise, even with windows wide open

Noise from busy roads, MRT tracks or construction activity may be less of a nuisance one day even when windows are wide open. A device is being developed by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) that can cut down noise by up to 50 per cent. The device, designed to be mounted on window grilles, uses "active noise control" technology found in high-end headphones that has been adapted for use in large open areas, NTU said yesterday. While the technology is not new, this is the first time such an experiment is being done on a fully-opened window, it said. The device uses a special sound-emitting mechanism and is hooked up to a processing unit. Once noise is detected, it emits "anti-noise" sound waves that counter the invading noise, resulting in a softer ambient sound, NTU said. "Our innovation not only computes the right amount and type of "anti-noise" to emit...